1. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 143. 1885. 2. Can. Hort. 14:92, 223. 1891. 3. Ibid. 19:253. 1896. 4. Ont. Exp. Sta. Rpt. 45, 46. 1899. 5. Can. Hort. 27:244. 1904.
Saunders Seedling 5.
The American Pomological Society recommends this variety for trial with the statement that the quality is of the best and that it is almost free from black-knot. But on the grounds of this Station, fruiting for several years, the plums have been inferior in size and somewhat so in quality and all told much less attractive than a number of other sorts of the same season. Saunders originated with John Arris of Belleville, Ontario, Canada. It was first exhibited before the Fruit-Growers’ Association of Ontario at St. Catherines in 1883. In 1884, upon its being again exhibited before the same association, it was named Saunders in honor of the society’s noted president. The variety was mentioned in the catalog of the American Pomological Society in 1897.
Tree of medium size, round-topped, very productive; branchlets brash, slender, very pubescent; leaves flattened, obovate or oval, one and three-quarters inches wide, four inches long, somewhat velvety, rugose; margin finely serrate, eglandular or with small dark glands; petiole pubescent, glandless or with from one to three small glands; blooming season intermediate in time and length; flowers appearing after the leaves, one and one-quarter inches across, white; borne on lateral buds and spurs, usually singly; pedicels very pubescent.
Fruit early, season short; one and one-half inches by one and one-eighth inches in size, oblong-oval, greenish-yellow changing to golden-yellow, covered with thin bloom; skin thin, tender, slightly sour, cracking when fully mature; flesh yellowish, tender and melting, sweet, mild; of good quality; stone free, one inch by five-eighths inch in size, long-oval, flattened, with rough surfaces; ventral suture winged; dorsal suture with a narrow, shallow groove.
SERGEANT
Prunus domestica
1. Cal. State Bd. Hort. 49, 51. 1887. 2. Ibid. 234, 235. 1890. 3. Ibid. 105. 1891. 4. Wickson Cal. Fruits 357. 1891. 5. U. S. D. A. Div. Pom. Bul. 7:316, Pl. IV fig. 2. 1898. 6. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 39. 1899. 7. Waugh Plum Cult. 121. 1901.
Prune d’Ente 2. Prunier Datte 1. Robe de Sergent 2, 5, 6. Robe de Sergeant 7. Robe de Sergent 1, 3, 4.
In France, from whence Sergeant was imported to California, Sergeant, Agen and Prunier Datte are held to be identical. But in America only the first and last are identical, the Agen being quite distinct. It would seem that the French should know their own plums and that their nomenclature should be accepted but the Sergeant is now so widely distributed in America as distinct that we give a brief description of the plum. There may be more than one type of the Agen in France or American nurserymen may have received wrongly named varieties.
Tree upright, with branches and branchlets thickish, more robust than Agen; foliage large, lancet-shaped, glossy, much broader and more shiny than Agen; fruit mid-season; of medium size, roundish-oval, enlarged on one side; skin deep purple to blackish with a thick bloom; flesh greenish-yellow, juicier than Agen, sweet, high flavored; quality good; stone partially clinging; valuable for preserving and drying.
SHARP
Prunus domestica
1. Lond. Hort. Soc. Cat. 153. 1831. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 315. 1845. 3. Ann. Pom. Belge 63, Pl. 1859. 4. Cultivator 8:25 fig. 1860. 5. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 948. 1869. 6. Guide Prat. 160, 358. 1895. 7. Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc. 21: Pt. 2, 222. 1897. 8. Waugh Plum Cult. 122, 123 fig. 1901.
Alderton 5. Dolphin 5. Dauphin 5. Denyer’s Victoria ?2, 5, 7. Empereur de Sharp 3, 6. Imperial de Sharp 5. Imperiale de Sharp 6. Prune Imperiale de Sharp 3. Queen Victoria ?2. Royal Dauphine 5. Sharp 8 incor. Sharp’s Emperor 1, 2 incor., 4, 5 incor. Sharp’s Emperor 3, 6, 8 incor. Sharpe’s Emperor 7. Sharps Kaiserpflaume 6. Victoria 5, 8 incor.
Sharp was briefly described in the London Horticultural Society catalog in 1831. Later, in 1845, A. J. Downing described the variety but thought it identical with the Victoria, as did other writers, as will be seen by referring to the Victoria. H. A. Pearson in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, comparing these two sorts says, “Sharp’s Emperor is a second rate plum, resembling Victoria, in appearance, but very inferior in point of cropping and quality, a decided clingstone, often gumming at the stone, and ripening a fortnight later than its supposed synonym, not worthy of cultivation.” August Royer in the Annals de Pomologie Belge et Etrangere also separated the two varieties but describes them both as freestones. While there is a lack of uniformity in the descriptions yet the total evidence weighs in favor of two types which are very similar. The Victoria is probably the better plum of the two.
SHELDRAKE
Prunus domestica
Although extremely vigorous and productive this variety is so inferior in quality as to be of doubtful value. Sheldrake originated as a chance seedling on the shore of Cayuga Lake near the town of Sheldrake, New York. It was discovered and propagated by J. T. Hunt of Kendaia, New York, and has been under test at the Geneva Station since 1895.
Tree large, vigorous, round-topped, productive; branchlets thick, with long internodes, pubescent; leaves drooping, somewhat flattened, oval, nearly two and one-half inches wide, four and one-quarter inches long; margin serrate with few, small, dark glands; petiole pubescent, tinged red, thick, glandless or with from one to four rather large glands usually at the base of the leaf; blooming season intermediate in time, short; flowers appearing after the leaves, nearly one and one-quarter inches across; borne singly or in pairs.
Fruit rather early; one and one-half inches by one and three-eighths inches in size, roundish-oblong; cavity very deep, abrupt; color purplish-black, overspread with thick bloom; dots conspicuous; stem thickly pubescent; skin thin, tender, slightly acid; flesh yellow, tender, sweet next the skin, but sour near the center, inferior in flavor; poor in quality; stone dark-colored, semi-clinging, one inch by three-quarters inch in size, broadly ovate or irregularly oval, flattened, with roughened and granular surfaces; ventral suture prominent, blunt.
SHIPPER
SHIPPER
Prunus domestica
1. Gard. Mon. 24:339. 1882. 2. W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 31:60. 1886. 3. Cornell Sta. Bul. 131:191, fig. 42. 1897. 4. Mich. Sta. Bul. 169:243, 247. 1899. 5. Can. Exp. Farm Bul. 2nd Ser. 3:56. 1900. 6. Mich. Sta. Bul. 187:77, 79. 1901. 7. Waugh Plum Cult. 119. 1901.
Pride 7. Shipper Pride 4. Shippers’ Pride 7. Shipper’s Pride 1, 2, 3, 5, 8.
This plum has never become an important commercial variety in New York yet it is offered for sale by a surprisingly large number of nurserymen. The variety has too many faults to succeed in competition with the many good plums of its color and season. The flesh is dry and the plums often shrivel on the tree, characters which fit it for shipping, but which when taken with poor quality and small size make it of little value after it reaches the market. Moreover it fruits sparingly under many conditions, though productive here, and the plums ripen somewhat unevenly and are susceptible to brown-rot. Some pomologists give a rather better estimate of the variety than that expressed here, but from all data at hand the value of the plum is not underestimated in the above statements. There are a great many better plums for New York than Shipper.
This variety was introduced by Mr. H. S. Wiley of Cayuga, New York. The plum was found by Mr. Wiley in a private garden at Port Byron, New York, about 1877. The man upon whose place it grew thought that it came from a stone of one of the several varieties in his garden but Mr. Wiley is not sure of this origin and suggests that it may have sprouted from a root.
Tree large, vigorous, round-topped, hardy, productive; branches thick, ash-gray, smooth except for the raised lenticels; branchlets of medium thickness and length, with long internodes, green changing to brownish-drab and with a red tinge, dull, covered with thick pubescence throughout the season, with inconspicuous lenticels of medium number and size; leaf-buds small, short, conical, appressed.
Leaves many, flattened or folded upward, obovate or oval, one and three-quarters inches wide, three and one-half inches long, thick, leathery; upper surface dark green, hairy, with a grooved midrib; lower surface silvery-green, thick, pubescent; apex abruptly pointed or acute, base acute, margin serrate or crenate, eglandular or with small dark glands; petiole one-half inch long, thick, pubescent, with a red tinge, glandless or with one or two globose, yellowish-green glands usually at the base of the leaf.
Season of bloom intermediate in time and length; flowers appearing with the leaves, nearly one and one-quarter inches across, white; borne on lateral buds and spurs, singly or in pairs; pedicels three-quarters inch long, pubescent, greenish; calyx-tube green, campanulate, pubescent; calyx-lobes obtuse, lightly pubescent on both surfaces, glandular-serrate and with marginal hairs, reflexed; petals broadly oval or obovate, slightly crenate or occasionally notched, with short, broad claws; anthers yellow; filaments five-sixteenths inch long; pistil glabrous, shorter than the stamens.
Fruit late, intermediate in length of ripening season; one and one-half inches by one and three-eighths inches in size, ovate, swollen on the suture side, compressed, halves equal; cavity shallow, abrupt; suture shallow; apex bluntly pointed; color purplish-black, overspread with thick bloom; dots small, russet, somewhat conspicuous; stem seven-eighths inch long, pubescent, adhering well to the fruit; skin thin, tender, separating readily; flesh greenish-yellow, rather tart, firm, sweet, mild in flavor; inferior in quality; stone semi-clinging, often with red tinge near the edge, seven-eighths inch by three-quarters inch in size, irregular roundish-ovate, turgid, rough, blunt at the base and apex; ventral suture wide, ridged, distinctly winged; dorsal suture wide, deep.
SHIRO
SHIRO
Prunus simonii × Prunus triflora × Prunus cerasifera × Prunus munsoniana
1. Cal. State Bd. Hort. 53 fig. 1897. 2. Burbank Cat. 1899. 3. Waugh Plum Cult. 225. 1901. 4. Rural N. Y. 62:582. 1903.
Late Klondike 1.
Shiro has been in the hands of fruit-growers too short a time to permit a just estimate of it to be made. As the variety grows on the grounds of this Station, the fruits are large and handsome in form and color, as is well shown in the illustration. The flavor lacks character and is almost insipid but the flesh is tender, melting and juicy and so translucent that the pit can be seen through the flesh. Despite the flavor, the plum is pleasant to eat and may be ranked as good in quality. Those who have had experience say that the variety ships very well if not fully mature but quickly goes down after ripening; the plums are also quite susceptible to brown-rot. The trees of this variety at Geneva are quite as vigorous, hardy, and productive as any of the sorts which Mr. Burbank gives as progenitors of Shiro and will generally, it is believed, surpass any of them in these respects. It may here be remarked that of the four species from which Shiro is supposed to have come, it most resembles Prunus triflora in both tree and fruit though the leaves have some resemblance to those of Prunus cerasifera. Shiro is still, so far as New York is concerned, in the list of plums deserving trial but with the chances against its becoming of great value either for home or commercial plantations.
This is another of Burbank’s plums and is said to be a descendant of Robinson, (Prunus munsoniana,) Myrobalan, (Prunus cerasifera), and Wickson, (a cross of Prunus triflora and Prunus simonii) from seed of Wickson. Burbank in his catalog for 1889 says that the tree resembles a Myrobalan in foliage, growth and general appearance. But as the variety grows at this Station it has all the appearances of a Triflora. Shiro was described in the California State Board of Horticulture Report for 1898 and the following year it was introduced by the originator.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, tender to cold, productive; branches smooth, somewhat thorny, dull ash-gray, with few, small lenticels; branchlets slender, above medium in length, with short internodes, greenish-red changing to brownish-drab, glabrous, with inconspicuous, scattering, small lenticels; leaf-buds small, very short, obtuse, strongly appressed.
Leaves folded upward, obovate, one and five-sixteenths inches wide, two and three-quarters inches long, leathery; upper surface faintly rugose, glabrous, with a grooved midrib; lower surface lightly pubescent along the midrib and larger veins; apex acutely pointed, base rather acute, margin finely crenate, with small, dark glands; petiole three-eighths inch long, pubescent along one side, greenish-red, glandless or with one or two small, globose, yellowish glands on the stalk.
Blooming season early and of medium length; flowers appearing before the leaves, white; borne in clusters on lateral buds and spurs; pedicels short, glabrous, greenish; calyx-tube green, campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes obtuse, glandular-serrate, glabrous on the outer side, sparingly pubescent within, with a pink margin, erect; petals roundish, entire, tapering to short, abrupt claws; anthers yellow with a reddish tinge; filaments below medium in length; pistil glabrous, longer than the stamens.
Fruit very early, season short; one and one-half inches in diameter, roundish-conic, with halves equal; cavity intermediate in depth and width, flaring, regular; suture an indistinct line; apex roundish; color light yellow becoming deeper yellow as the season advances, occasionally with a blush of pink, with thin bloom; dots numerous, very minute, whitish, inconspicuous; stem three-eighths inch long, adhering to the fruit; skin thin, tough, sour, occasionally cracking, separating readily, although a thin coating of flesh is left clinging to the skin; flesh light yellow, semi-transparent, the stone being faintly visible, very juicy, fibrous, somewhat melting, sweet, mild, lacks character in flavor; good; stone clinging, seven-eighths inch by five-eighths inch in size, broadly oval, flattened, slightly elongated at the base, with rough surfaces; ventral suture faintly ridged and furrowed; dorsal suture very lightly grooved.
SHROPSHIRE
SHROPSHIRE
Prunus insititia
1. Rea Flora 209. 1676. 2. Lond. Hort. Soc. Cat. 146. 1831. 3. Prince Pom. Man. 2:90. 1832. 4. Loudon Enc. Gard. 921. 1834. 5. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 297. 1845. 6. Floy-Lindley Guide Orch. Gard. 282, 383. 1846. 7. Thompson Gard. Ass’t 520. 1859. 8. Hogg Fruit Man. 377. 1866. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 36. 1875. 10. Hogg Fruit Man. 695. 1884. 11. Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 289. 1889. 12. Am. Gard. 14:146 fig., 147, 148. 1893. 13. Cornell Sta. Bul. 131:192 fig. 46. 1897. 14. Garden 53:265. 1898. 15. Mich. Sta. Bul. 169:243, 247. 1899. 16. Waugh Plum Cult. 130 fig. 1901. 17. Va. Sta. Bul. 134:44. 1902. 18. Ga. Sta. Bul. 67:281 fig. 1904.
Cheshire 14. Damascene 8, 10, 14. Damson Plum 3. Long Damson 2. Long Damson 7, 8, 10. Pruine Damson? 1. Prune Damson 2, 4, 5, 7, 14. Prune Damson 6, 8. Prune 10. Shropshire Damson ?6, 8, 10, 15, 16, 17. Shropshire Damson 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 18.
In America, Shropshire is probably the best known of the Damsons, being found not only in nearly all commercial plantations but in the smallest home collections as well. The qualities which make it so generally a favorite are for most part those of the tree, the French surpassing it in size and in quality of the fruit. The trees of the variety under notice are not surpassed by any other Insititia in size, vigor, hardiness and health nor are they, except in size, by any other European plum. Shropshire is enormously productive, bearing its load of fruit year after year until it is a standard among fruits for productivity and reliability in bearing. The trees have but one defect,—unless sprayed the foliage falls prey to fungi and drops early. The trees are comparatively easy to manage in such orchard operations as pruning, spraying and harvesting as they are not so thick-topped, twiggy and spiny as other Damsons. The fruit is of very good size and while in no sense a dessert plum may be eaten out of hand with relish when fully ripe or after a light frost—a point worth considering where only Damsons can be grown. It is one of the best of its kind for culinary purposes. This old variety is still to be recommended for both home and market.
Shropshire originated in England, sometime in the Seventeenth Century. It was noted by American writers early in the Nineteenth Century and in 1875 was placed on the American Pomological Society’s fruit catalog list. Shropshire is a more familiar name in fruit literature than the references given indicate, being found in practically every English discussion of plums since 1676 and in all American notices of this fruit since Prince wrote in 1832. For a fruit so long under cultivation, it has few synonyms.
Tree large, vigorous, vasiform, hardy, productive; main branches numerous, ash-gray, smooth except for numerous scars from small spur-like branches, with many, small lenticels; branchlets twiggy, slender, with short internodes, green changing to dark brownish-drab, dull, covered with heavy pubescence throughout the season, with numerous, small lenticels; leaf-buds below medium in size, short, conical, appressed.
Leaves flattened, obovate, about one inch wide, two inches long, thin; upper surface dark green, pubescent along the grooved midrib; lower surface a paler green, with thin pubescence; apex obtuse or acute, base acute, margin finely serrate, eglandular; petiole one-half inch long, slender, greenish-red, with little pubescence, glandless or with one or two small, globose, greenish-yellow glands usually at the base of the leaf.
Season of bloom medium; flowers seven-eighths inch across, white; borne in clusters on lateral buds and spurs, singly or in pairs; pedicels three-eighths inch long, slender, glabrous, greenish; calyx-tube green, campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes narrow, acute, glabrous, the margin glandular-ciliate, reflexed; petals roundish-oval, entire, short-clawed; anthers yellow; filaments five-sixteenths inch long; pistil glabrous, shorter than the stamens.
Fruit late, season long; one and one-half inches by one inch in size, oval, compressed, halves equal; cavity shallow, narrow, flaring; suture an indistinct line; apex roundish; color purplish-black, overspread with thick bloom; dots numerous, small, russet, inconspicuous; stem slender, one-half inch long, glabrous, adhering to the fruit; skin thin, tender, adhering; flesh golden-yellow, juicy, firm but tender, agreeably tart at full maturity, sprightly, pleasant; stone clinging, three-quarters inch by one-half inch in size, oval, acute at the base, blunt at the apex, with nearly smooth surfaces; ventral suture broad, blunt; dorsal suture acute, with a narrow, shallow, indistinct groove.
SIMON
Prunus simonii
1. Rev. Hort. 111. 1872. 2. Horticulturist 27:196. 1872. 3. Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 374, 378. 1881. 4. Ibid. 321. 1884. 5. Rural N. Y. 45:689 fig. 389. 1886. 6. Ibid. 46:766. 1887. 7. Ga. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 53, 99. 1889. 8. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 444. 1889. 9. Cal. State Bd. Hort. Rpt. 236, Pl. II figs. 1 and 2, 238. 1890. 10. Rev. Hort. 152 fig. 40. 1891. 11. Penin. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 68. 1891. 12. Cornell Sta. Bul. 51:55. 1893. 13. Mich. Sta. Bul. 103:35. 1894. 14. Guide Prat. 164, 362. 1895. 15. Neb. State Hort. Soc. Rpt. 175. 1895. 16. Kan. Sta. Bul. 73:192. 1897. 17. Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:29. 1898. 18. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 41. 1899. 19. Waugh Plum Cult. 14, 38, 234. 1901.
Apricot Plum 12, 19. Apricot Plum 9, 11. Plum Simon 2. Prune Eugene Simon 8. Prunier de Simon 8, 14. Prunus simoni 4, 7, 17. Prunus Simonii 2. Prunus Simonii 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 16, 19. Prunus simoni 8. Simon 19. Simon’s Chinese Apricot Plum 7. Simon’s Peach 15. Simon’s Plum 5.
The Simon plum, a horticultural variety, constitutes the species Prunus simonii and has been fully discussed in the chapter of this text dealing with the botany of the plum. It is given further notice only to introduce the horticultural references and history and to estimate briefly its value in fruit-growing. As to the latter it may be said that the fruit is for most people unpalatable, and therefore of little worth as an edible product. Some of the crosses of which this variety is one parent are well known and esteemed in pomology and the Simon plum undoubtedly has value for plum-breeding in the future. The tree, where it succeeds, is a handsome ornamental. In New York the variety seems hardy wherever the peach can be grown and thrives on the same types of soils—sands, gravels and light loams. The tree is subject to diseases and unless well sprayed is liable to be short-lived. The variety can be recommended in New York only to the breeder of plums and for those who want the tree as an ornamental or a curiosity.
This interesting and distinct plum was obtained in China by Eugene Simon, a French consul, who sent it to the Paris Museum of Natural History in 1867. Later it was disseminated by the nurseries of Simon Brothers at Plantières-Les-Metz. The date of its introduction into America is unknown, though it was offered for sale by the eastern nurseries as early as 1881. Ellwanger and Barry of Rochester secured their stock from France a few years previous to the date given but whether they were the only importers cannot be said. In 1899 the American Pomological Society added Simon to its catalog list. The variety is fully described under its species.
SIMPSON
Prunus domestica
1. Ohio Sta. Bul. 113:161. 1899. 2. Ibid. 162:256, 257. 1905.
The fruit of Simpson is too small and is so much below the average of its type, that of the Yellow Egg, in quality that it is not worth general introduction. It is given attention here chiefly as a matter of record. Although unquestionably a Domestica, Simpson was found growing wild in the woods west of Peoria, Illinois. It was introduced by H. Augustine of Normal, Illinois, about 1888.
Tree large, very vigorous, upright-spreading, dense, very productive; branchlets slender, with long internodes, thickly pubescent; leaf-buds large, long; leaves flattened, oval, intermediate in width and length; margin serrate, eglandular; petiole pubescent, glandless or with from one to three globose glands usually on the stalk; flowers one inch across, borne in scattering clusters, singly or in pairs; calyx-lobes thickly pubescent on both surfaces.
Fruit mid-season; one and one-half inches by one and three-eighths inches in size, oval, golden-yellow, covered with thin bloom; flesh golden-yellow, juicy, firm but tender, sweet, mild; good; stone semi-free, seven-eighths inch by one-half inch in size, oval, acute at the base; ventral suture usually winged; dorsal suture widely and deeply grooved.
SMALL REINE CLAUDE
Prunus domestica
1. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:91. 1768. 2. Kraft Pom. Aust. 39, Tab. 189 fig. 2. 1796. 3. M’Mahon Am. Gard. Cat. 587. 1806. 4. Lond. Hort. Soc. Cat. 147, 148, 154. 1831. 5. Prince Pom. Man. 2:49. 1832. 6. Mag. Hort. 9:164. 1843. 7. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 288. 1845. 8. Floy-Lindley Guide Orch. Gard. 284, 383. 1846. 9. Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 330. 1849. 10. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 913. 1869. 11. Mas Pom. Gen. 2:93. 1873. 12. Oberdieck Deut. Obst. Sort. 435. 1881. 13. Hogg Fruit Man. 732. 1884. 14. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 437. 1889.
Die kleine Königin Claudia 2. English Yellow Gage 9, 10. English Yellow Gage 11, 14. Gonne’s Green Gage 6, 7, 10, 13, 14. Gonne’s Green Gage 4. Kibitzenei 14. Kleine Dauphine 14. Kleine Reine-Claude 12, 14. Kleine Weisse Damascene 12, 14. Kleine Reine-Claude 11. Kleine Grüne Reine-Claude 11, 12, 14. Little Reine Claude 5. Little Queen Claude 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14. Little Queen Claude 8. Little Queen Claudia 3. Little Queen Claudia 5. Petite Reine-Claude 1, 11. Petite Reine-Claude 2, 5, 7, 8, 10. Petit Damas Vert 13, 14. Reine-Claude Petite Espece 14. Reine-Claude Blanche Petite Espece 5, 6, 7, 10. Reine-Claude Blanche 6, 7, 10, 14. Reine-Claude Petite 13, 14. Reine Claude (of some) 6. Small Green Gage 5, 7, 10, 14. Small Queen Claude 5. White Gage 6, 7, 10, 13, 14. White Gage 4. Yellow Gage 4, 6, 7, 13. Yellow Gage 11, 14.
Small Reine Claude, an old variety of unknown origin, is now probably obsolete. Thomas and Downing described it as an English Yellow Gage but it cannot be found that it is ever so called in Europe. Since the variety was known in France and Austria in the latter part of the Eighteenth Century it is quite certain that it originated on the continent. From its name and close resemblance to the Reine Claude it is safe to state that it is a seedling of that sort. It is described as follows:
Tree of normal vigor; branches smooth; flowers small; fruit medium in size, nearly spherical, truncated on the stem side and slightly on the apex; suture wide and distinct, thus differing from the Reine Claude; stem medium in length; cavity shallow; skin tender, yellowish-green, often splashed with red on the sunny side; flesh greenish-yellow, fine, a little firm, sweet, rich and pleasant; freestone; ripens earlier than the Reine Claude.
SMITH ORLEANS
SMITH ORLEANS
Prunus domestica
1. Prince Treat. Hort. 27. 1828. 2. Prince Pom. Man. 2:68. 1832. 3. Mag. Hort. 9:410. 1843. 4. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 304, 305 fig. 125. 1845. 5. Mag. Hort. 14:152, 153 fig. 16. 1848. 6. Cole Am. Fr. Book 214 fig. 1849. 7. Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 343. 1849. 8. Elliott Fr. Book 424. 1854. 9. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 210. 1856. 10. Hooper W. Fr. Book 252. 1857. 11. Hogg Fruit Man. 382. 1866. 12. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 450. 1889. 13. Ont. Fr. Exp. Sta. Rpt. 52. 1895. 14. Cornell Sta. Bul. 131:192. 1897.
Cooper’s 5. Cooper’s Large 5. Cooper’s Large Red 5. Cooper’s Red 6. Duane’s Purple 3 incor. La Delicieuse 8. Large Orleans 3. Large Purple 3 incor. Monsieur de Smith 12. Purple Magnum Bonum 3. Red Magnum Bonum incor. 3, 4, 5, 6, 12. Smith’s large Orleans 2. Smith’s Orleans 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14. Smith’s Orleans 5, 12. Smith’s Orleans Pflaume 12. Smith’s Herrn Pflaume 12. Violet Perdrigon incor. 3, 4, 5, 6, 12. Violetter Perdrigon 12 incor.
In the middle of the last century, Smith Orleans was considered about the best plum of its color in America. But the fruit is not high in quality, the texture of the flesh is coarse and it ripens at a time when fruits are plentiful, for which reasons it has ceased to be regarded with favor by either the amateur or the professional fruit-grower. The trees, however, seem to have some remarkably desirable characters and it may be that the variety should be retained for some locations and purposes and to breed from, at least. If the older pomologists have written truly few plums are adapted to a greater range of climates and soils than this one; so, too, the trees are usually spoken of as of large size, vigorous, healthy, of great productiveness and as holding the crop well. The trees in the soil and climate of this Station are quite as the older writers describe them and were the fruit only better in quality and somewhat more attractive in appearance, the variety could be highly recommended for a market plum and as a fruit for culinary purposes in the home orchard.
William Prince, in 1828, in his Treatise on Horticulture, briefly described Smith Orleans, and seventeen years later A. J. Downing gave a short history of the variety. It is a seedling of the Orleans raised about 1825 by a Mr. Smith of Gowanus, Long Island, New York. By an error the variety was sent out as the Violet, or Blue Perdrigon, a smaller and very different fruit. Charles M. Hovey of Massachusetts, who secured trees of the Cooper from Prince, about 1831, believed this variety to be identical with the Smith Orleans in all characters. Downing could not agree with him but the present writers find that the two varieties are so much alike that it is impossible to distinguish between them. As is suggested under Cooper, they may be identical or they may have come true to seed from the same parent. The American Pomological Society recommended this plum for general cultivation in 1856.
Tree large, vigorous, spreading, open-topped, very productive; trunk rather rough; branches smooth, with few lenticels; branchlets of medium thickness and length, with long internodes, green changing to dark brownish-red, covered with thin bloom, lightly pubescent early in the season becoming almost glabrous at maturity, with few, small lenticels; leaf-buds of medium size and length, conical, appressed.
Leaves flattened or somewhat folded backward, obovate, two inches wide, three and five-eighths inches long, thick, velvety; upper surface dark green, rugose, with but few hairs along the narrow, deeply grooved midrib; lower surface silvery-green, covered with thick pubescence; apex abruptly pointed or acute, base acute, margin crenate, with few small, dark brown glands; petiole one-half inch long, heavily pubescent, tinged red along one side, glandless or with one or two small, globose, yellow glands usually at the base of the leaf.
Season of bloom medium, short; flowers appearing with the leaves, one and one-quarter inches across, white, with a yellow tinge; borne in clusters on lateral buds and spurs; pedicels five-eighths inch long, pubescent, greenish; calyx-tube green, campanulate, with few scattering hairs; calyx-lobes above medium in width, obtuse, sparingly pubescent on both surfaces, glandular-serrate and with marginal hairs, reflexed; petals broad-obovate or oval, crenate, tapering to long claws of medium width; anthers yellow, filaments seven-sixteenths inch long; pistil glabrous, shorter than the stamens.
Fruit intermediate in time and length of ripening season, one and five-eighths inches by one and one-half inches in size, oval, compressed, halves somewhat unequal; cavity shallow, narrow, abrupt; suture very shallow or sometimes a line; apex roundish or depressed; color dark purplish-black, overspread with thick bloom; dots numerous small, russet, inconspicuous; stem three-quarters inch long, pubescent, adhering to the fruit; skin below medium in thickness, tender, sour, separating readily; flesh pale yellow, juicy, tender, sweet, of pleasant flavor; good; stone clinging, one inch by five-eighths inch in size, oval, with very rough and deeply pitted surfaces, usually somewhat flattened, tapering abruptly at the base, blunt at the apex; ventral suture wide, blunt; dorsal suture with a groove variable in depth and width.
SOPHIE
Prunus munsoniana
1. U. S. D. A. Rpt. 263, Pl. VI. 1892. 2. Kerr Cat. 1894. 3. Waugh Plum Cult. 189. 1901.
Sophie is fast being lost sight of among the multitudes of native plums recently introduced. Without any very distinct merits it yet stands high among plums of its kind. The variety is a seedling of Wild Goose at first supposed by the originator, J. W. Kerr,[223] of Denton, Maryland, to have been pollinated by a German Prune which stood near. This is hardly the case, however, as no trace of Domestica blood can be detected in the variety. It is mentioned by the American Pomological Society in its catalog for 1899.
Tree large, very vigorous, spreading, open-topped, productive; branches thorny, shaggy, with long and unbranched limbs; branchlets willowy, slender; leaves folded upward, oval, one and three-quarters inches wide, three and one-quarter inches long, thin; margin shallowly crenate, with small, dark glands; petiole slender, pubescent, with from one to three small glands; blooming season late, long; flowers appearing after the leaves, nearly three-quarters inch across, white, pinkish as they open, with a disagreeable odor; borne in twos or threes; anthers yellow with an orange-red tinge.
Fruit maturing later than Wild Goose; large, one and three-eighths inches by one and one-eighth inches in size, obovate, slightly necked, pear-shaped, bright red, covered with thin bloom; dots conspicuous; stem slender, long; flesh deep yellow, juicy, coarse and fibrous, subacid, flat; of fair quality; stone clinging, three-quarters inch by three-eighths inch in size, somewhat angular, irregular-obovate, with a peculiar elongated, flattened, oblique base; apex abruptly acute; surfaces rough.
SPAULDING
SPAULDING
Prunus domestica
1. Lovett Cat. 41, Col. Pl. 1888. 2. Cornell Sta. Bul. 131:192. 1897. 3. Mich. Sta. Bul. 169:243, 248. 1899. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 39. 1899. 5. Kan. Sta. Bul. 101:121, 122, Pl. V. 1901. 6. Waugh Plum Cult. 122. 1901. 7. Ohio Sta. Bul. 162:239. 1905.
Among the plums of comparatively recent introduction Spaulding holds a conspicuous place. It is particularly highly spoken of for its good quality and while not recommended for commercial orchards is often mentioned as very desirable for home use. As Spaulding grows at this Station, it does not sustain the reputation it has elsewhere. It is of the Reine Claude group of plums and while of high quality is not as good a dessert plum as several other similar sorts. Moreover, the fruits are small and too light in color to be especially attractive in appearance. The plums, too, are quite susceptible to brown-rot. The tree-characters of this variety are in the main very good but not at all out of the ordinary. It is very doubtful whether this sort can compete for any purpose with such similar plums as Hand, Jefferson, Washington, Bavay, Reine Claude, McLaughlin and Imperial Gage. It may be worthy a trial elsewhere in New York with the hope that it will more nearly approach the reputation that it has in other states than it does at Geneva—at best it cannot be more than a home variety.
Spaulding was brought to the notice of fruit-growers by J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, New Jersey, who introduced the variety in 1888. The plum came to Mr. Lovett from Francis Garriel with the statement that it originated as a seedling in the yard of Mr. Garriel’s father in the Bowery, New York City. From the resemblance of Spaulding to the Imperial Gage it is probable that they are closely related. In 1899 the variety was placed on the fruit catalog list of the American Pomological Society as a successful variety in the north-eastern part of the United States and the neighboring parts of Canada.
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, dense-topped, hardy, productive; branches ash-gray, smooth except for the raised lenticels of various sizes; branchlets of medium thickness and length, with long internodes, greenish-red changing to brownish-red, dull, lightly pubescent throughout the season, with obscure, small lenticels; leaf-buds of medium size and length, conical, appressed; leaf-scars prominent.
Leaves folded upward, nearly two inches wide, three and one-quarter inches long, thick; upper surface dark green, rugose, glabrous, with a shallow groove on the midrib; lower surface silvery-green, pubescent; apex abruptly pointed or acute, base acute, margin serrate or crenate, with small, dark glands; petiole nearly five-eighths inch long, thick, pubescent, tinged red, with from one to four small, globose, greenish glands usually on the stalk.
Blooming season intermediate in time and length, one inch or more across, white with a yellowish tinge at the apex of the petals in the newly opened flowers; borne on lateral spurs, singly or in pairs; pedicels three-eighths inch long, thick, pubescent, greenish; calyx-tube green, campanulate, lightly pubescent; calyx-lobes obtuse, pubescent on both surfaces, glandular-serrate, reflexed; petals oblong, crenate, not clawed; anthers yellow; filaments one-quarter inch long; pistil glabrous or occasionally with a few hairs near the base, longer than the stamens; stigma large.
Fruit mid-season, ripening period long; one and five-eighths inches by one and three-eighths inches in size, oblong-oval or ovate, compressed, halves equal; cavity small, shallow, abrupt; suture shallow, often a line; apex roundish; color dull greenish-yellow, with stripes and splashes of light green, overspread with thick bloom; dots numerous, small, whitish, inconspicuous; stem three-quarters inch long, lightly pubescent, adhering well to the fruit; skin thin, tender, separating readily; flesh greenish-yellow, juicy, fibrous, tender, sweet, mild, pleasant; very good; stone semi-free or free, seven-eighths inch by five-eighths inch in size, ovate, turgid, slightly pitted, blunt at the base, nearly acute at the apex; ventral suture rather broad, slightly furrowed, with a distinct but short wing; dorsal suture widely and deeply grooved.
STANTON
Prunus domestica
1. Gard. Mon. 29:116. 1887. 2. Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 288. 1889. 3. Cornell Sta. Bul. 131:192. 1897.
Stanton’s Seedling 2.
This plum appears to be a very good late variety in several respects; it is a long-keeping fruit, is of very good quality for dessert and is a fine plum for canning and preserving. Its faults are that it is tardy in coming into bearing and the fruits drop badly from the trees as they begin to ripen; in localities where these faults are marked the variety is worthless. Stanton originated as a chance seedling in Albany County, New York, from whence it was sent to Hammond and Willard of Geneva, New York, who introduced it about 1885.
Tree very large and vigorous, round-topped, variable in productiveness; branches slender, marked by transverse cracks in the bark; leaf-scars enlarged; leaves folded upward, oval or obovate, one and one-half inches wide, three inches long; margin finely and doubly crenate, with few, dark glands; petiole short, glandless or with from one to three small glands usually on the stalk; blooming season intermediate in time and length; flowers appearing after the leaves, one and one-eighth inches across, borne in scattering clusters on lateral buds and spurs, singly or in pairs.
Fruit late, season long; about one and one-quarter inches in diameter, roundish-oblate, truncate, purplish-black, overspread with very heavy bloom; flesh bright golden-yellow, fibrous, very sweet, rather high-flavored; good to very good; stone semi-free, three-quarters inch by five-eighths inch in size, irregular roundish-oval, turgid, with a blunt and oblique base, the surfaces nearly smooth; ventral suture enlarged, often with a short, distinct wing; dorsal suture shallow.
STODDARD
Prunus americana
1. Ia. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 78. 1892. 2. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt. 88. 1895. 3. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat. 38. 1899. 4. Ia. Sta. Bul. 46:289. 1900. 5. U. S. D. A. Rpt. 478, Pl. LXII. 1902.
Baker 2. Stoddart 1, 2.
Stoddard is usually rated as one of the best of the Americana plums and its behavior on the grounds of this Station sustains its reputation. The firmness of the fruit makes it a good shipping plum of its kind and season. This variety was discovered by B. F. Stoddard of Jesup, Buchanan County, Iowa, about 1875, growing in a garden owned by Mrs. Caroline Baker who stated that her husband secured the trees from the woods, presumably along the Maquoketa River. The variety was subsequently introduced by J. Wragg and Sons of Waukee, Iowa, at dates variously reported from 1890 to 1895.
Tree large, vigorous, spreading, open-topped, productive; trunk shaggy; branches slender, thorny; branchlets slender, with conspicuous, large, raised lenticels; leaves falling early, flattened, oval or obovate, two and one-quarter inches wide, four inches long; margin coarsely serrate, eglandular; petiole tinged red, glandless or with from one to three glands usually on the stalk; blooming season late; flowers appearing with the leaves, one inch across, white.
Fruit intermediate in time and length of ripening season; about one and three-eighths inches in diameter, roundish-oblate; suture a distinct red line; color light to dark red over a yellow ground, mottled, covered with thick bloom; skin astringent; flesh dark golden-yellow, very juicy, tender and melting, rather sweet next the skin but tart near the center, with a characteristic flavor; good; stone clinging, seven-eighths inch by five-eighths inch in size, roundish to broad-oval, strongly flattened, with smooth surfaces; ventral suture narrow, winged.
STONELESS
Prunus insititia
1. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:110, Pl. 20 fig. 14. 1768. 2. Kraft Pom. Aust. 2:42, Tab. 194 fig. 2. 1796. 3. Mag. Hort. 9:165. 1843. 4. Poiteau Pom. Franc. 1. 1846. 5. Mas Pom. Gen. 2:121, fig. 61. 1873. 6. Hogg Fruit Man. 726. 1884. 7. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 450. 1889.
Die Pflaume ohne Stein 2. Jean Morceau 3. Kirke’s Stoneless 6, 7. Pflaume Ohne Steine 5. Pitless 5, 7. Prune Sans-Noyau 4. Sans-Noyau 1, 5. Sans Noyau 3, 6, 7. Steinlose Zwetsche 7. Stoneless 5, 7.
This curious plum is attracting attention because of the publicity given it by Burbank in his breeding work. The variety is at least three hundred years old. It was known to Merlet, writing in the Seventeenth Century, and has been mentioned in plum literature many times since. The plum is remarkable because of the entire absence of a stone, the kernel lying naked in a cavity much larger than itself. The variety is worthless but presents opportunities for breeding purposes that should not be overlooked. Judging from the fruit-characters as given below it belongs to Prunus insititia. The Stoneless is supposed to have been introduced into England from the Royal Gardens at Versailles by George London. It was long sold as Kirke’s Stoneless, having been much advertised by Kirke, a nurseryman at Brompton, England. It is described as follows: